Members of Mara Salvatrucha listen to a mass in Ciudad Barrios, San Salvador, El Salvador. Edgar Romero/DPA/PA Images,. All rights reserved
This article is published as part of our series Which Violence in Latin America? in partnership with the University of Santiago in Chile
El Salvador is home to the most violent gangs in
the world. Both the 18th Street gang (Barrio
18) and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) began in Los Angeles, California in the 1960s
and 1980s, respectively. As the gangs evolved over time they created security
issues for the United States government. The Illegal Immigrant Reform and
Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 led to the deportation of many
gang members back to their home countries in Central America. Not surprisingly,
such policies contributed to the expansion of the gangs throughout the region.
In 2012, the United States Department of Treasury labeled MS-13 as a
transnational criminal organization. Both MS-13 and the 18th Street gangs
partake in a variety of illicit activities. The most profitable activity of
these gangs in El Salvador is extortion. People living and working within
communities are required to pay rent (renta)
to the gangs or they can face serious consequences.
The increase in the prison population has led to severe overcrowding within the prison system.
Gangs and failed government policies have
contributed to the high levels of violence plaguing the country. In the early
2000s, the Francisco Flores government launched Mano Dura (iron fist) strategies to combat gangs and gang-related
violence. These policies led to spikes in the number of gang members arrested. As
a result, the prison population proliferated from a rate of 130 per 100,000
inhabitants in 2000 to 567 per 100,000 in 2016. The increase in the prison
population has led to severe overcrowding within the prison system.
Moreover, officials separated gangs within prisons.
The separation of prisoners seems logical as prison officials do not want to
place gang members from rival organizations in the same cells. However, scholars,
such as José Miguel Cruz, note that such strategies have had unintended
consequences. Prisons served as “schools of crime” as gang members from
different cliques housed within the same prison complex began to network and
organize. In sum, prisons became an integral part of gang life, and gang
leaders “call the shots” while incarcerated.
Ex-gang members face high levels of discrimination by society.
Prisons throughout the country requires
significant reforms. The prison system is plagued by high levels of
overcrowding at around 348 percent. The high levels of overcrowding lead to
serious concerns about human rights abuses due to the horrific living
conditions of the prisoners. Overcrowding can also increase tension among inmates
and foment high levels of violence. In addition, Salvadoran prisons do not
effectively rehabilitate former gang members. Former prisoners face major
challenges as they attempt to find employment after leaving prison. Ex-gang
members face high levels of discrimination by society. Not only do former gang
members have enemies within their former gang, but they also have to be careful
as rival gang members may seek to harm them.
The current government of Salvador Sánchez Cerén
has continued a tough on crime approach to gangs in the country. In 2015, the
Supreme Court labeled both the 18th Street gang and MS-13 as
terrorists. These controversial counter-gang strategies have increased levels
of violence between the police and gang members. Such policies have also contributed
to prison overcrowding. The government cannot afford to continue incarcerating
so many young Salvadorans. New strategies must be implemented to reduce the
number of people in the prison system and attempt to prevent youth from
becoming involved in criminal activities and the gang life.
The Salvadoran government is at a critical
juncture. Counter-gang strategies are often popular among the public because
people want to feel safe and increase security levels. Gang members partake in
crime and other delinquent behavior, which help increase the levels of
insecurity in El Salvador. Harsh anti-gang strategies can help the current government
demonstrate to society that it is tough on crime and serious about combating
gangs and gang-related violence. However, history shows that such policies only
lead to more violence and do not resolve many of the underlying issues. Studies,
such as the one conducted by José Miguel Cruz and his colleagues at Florida
International University, demonstrate that gang members in El Salvador are from
marginalized communities and are highly uneducated. It is important to address
the underlying causes of why people join gangs.
Solving these issues is not easy as a magic solution does not exist. Yet
the lesson of past policies is that mano
dura strategies only lead to more violence and are not effective.
Finally, Central American governments that are
plagued by high levels of corruption, impunity, and inequality are ripe places
for gangs and other organized crime groups to operate. As the elections in El
Salvador approach, it remains to be seen who will win and what security
strategies will be implemented. These outcomes could determine whether the same
hardline strategies designed to combat gangs and gang-related activity continue
unabated. The next president will have to address many of the underlying problems
in the country, including the high levels of violence as well as corruption and
lack of transparency. Institutions throughout the country, including the
executive, have been tainted by corruption scandals. Former President Antonio
“Tony” Saca, for instance, is currently incarcerated in La Esperanza, Mariona
for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the country. In addition, former
President Mauricio Funes fled to Nicaragua after corruption allegations. Other
institutions, such as the police and the military, allegedly have been involved
in death squads. In sum, the future of
El Salvador looks bleak unless the institutions within the country can be
strengthened through serious reforms.